Articulated gondola railcar

An articulated gondola railcar, comprising two car units interconnected at their inboard ends by articulation means, each of said car units comprising:

• a carbody supported by two spaced apart trucks;
• and
• a coupler located adjacent the outboard end of said carbody;
• wherein said carbody includes:
• a depressed center section located between said trucks;
• through sill means extending between said coupler and said articulation means for transmitting essentially all buff and draft forces between said coupler and said articulation means along a rectilinear load path aligned with said coupler and said articulation means;
• two side wall means respectively positioned on opposite sides of said through sill means and operatively connected to said center section for laterally containing the lading of said carbody and for receiving essentially all vertical loads applied to said center section, said center section extending below said side wall means;
• and two bolster means extending transversely to and overlying said through sill means for supporting said side wall means, and for receiving vertical load bearing support at four vertical load support points, two of which are spaced apart on opposite sides of said through sill means adjacent one end of said carbody and the other two of which are spaced apart on opposite sides of said through sill means adjacent the other end of said carbody.

An articulated gondola railcar, comprising two car units interconnected at their inboard ends by articulation means, each of said car units comprising:

• a carbody supported by two spaced apart trucks;
• and
• a coupler located adjacent the outboard end of said carbody;
• wherein said carbody includes:
• two parallel side walls supporting a center section depressed below the level of said coupler and said articulation means between said trucks, said center section being curved about the longitudinal center line of said carbody;
• through sill means extending between said coupler and said articulation means parallel to and between said side walls in spaced relation to said center section for transmitting essentially all buff and draft forces between said coupler and said articulation means along a rectilinear load path aligned with said coupler and said articulation means;
• and plate means pivotally connected to a portion of said through sill means within the space bounded by said center section for swinging beneath said through sill means at close clearance with the interior surface of said center section so as to contact and move material adjacent said interior surface.